Combat structure: the midgame

 

A turn-based tactical strategy video game is more than just a game; it is an intellectual exercise where art and science coexist, the logical thinking behind a maneuver and the luck of the player who finds success after a slightly fortuitous move, as well as failure behind what seemed to be a good move. It is a battlefield, with no further frills, where the best tactic, as in life, is the one that is simply carried out. 

In the previous post on Combat Structure, I analyzed what the first phase of combat in a turn-based tactical RPG consists of. This entry -which you can read here-, is the preamble to the longest and most complicated phase of all: the mid game; the stage where each player develops his tactics and embellishes the rules that each developer has thought of for each title. This is the stage that leads to the death match between man and machine, where we give ourselves to forced moves in an attempt to tip the balance of victory in our favor.

In this article we will analyze in detail what this stage consists of. Take note!

The battle has begun. After the initial phase, in which we have placed our units to occupy the first positions, we come into contact with the enemy to begin the exchange of blows. From now on, the tactical possibilities are enormous and our objective is one: to control the battlefield. In addition, at this stage of the game our ability to move may be considerably reduced, depending on the game, because our front line must be occupied in holding the front, and there is hardly any possibility of relocating our units if we have not wrested control of the scenario from the enemy.

Well, there are several points to keep in mind here.

• Constantly evaluate your own and opposing positions. Why? Because as units disappear, the battlefield widens. Try to see the scenario as a whole, because when units fall, the possibility of reoccupying another position opens up.
• Your tactics must have defined objectives. For example, a priority objective is to cut off enemy supplies. In other words, give priority to those enemy support units that can revitalize their comrades. Here, as in war, controlling raw materials is decisive to choke the enemy. Keep in mind that an army without support units, which has lost the ability to regenerate, is a mutilated army. For this reason, focus on key units to give coherence to your tactics and do not attack by hitting in the air.

In the mid-game, the tactical possibilities are enormous and our objective is one: to control the battlefield.

• A note. Your defending units, that is, the tanks or those you use to slow down the enemy advance, will be holding their own at the front. But it is also the time to do damage. Use DPS-focused units together, if possible without dispersing all the points of damage you can inflict in a single turn among the repertoire of opposing units. As mentioned above, have a defined objective.
• Analyze the weaknesses of each enemy unit, as well as your own. The enemy AI cannot keep all fronts open. Before executing an action, think for a moment about the immediate consequences. Perhaps, destroying an enemy unit will reconfigure the AI patterns and the AI will end up attacking your units from another angle. In other words, the space occupied by an enemy unit is an impenetrable space because, as in physics, no body can occupy the place of another at the same time. Sometimes, it is convenient to keep weak enemies close if this keeps more powerful units at a distance.

• Important: don't forget your mission objectives. If your main mission is to kill a certain unit, reach a certain place, escape..., whatever your objective is, maximize your resources in that direction. Your most valuable resource is time. Keep an eye on the turn limit, if any.
• Adapt according to the situation. If you have missed a hit or taken damage, don't load the game: learn how to play, because you will learn from your mistakes.

Many devs love to keep some surprises in store: ambushes, sudden appearance of new enemies... Although these events can unbalance the game, try not to fragment the bulk of your units unnecessarily. It will be easier for you to reorganize if situations you didn't count on appear.

• Avoid clichés such as: the best defense is a good offense, or basic tips such as "make a human wall". The best players are those who know how to maintain the balance between attack and defense. In fact, sometimes you have to know how to do nothing; holding a position can be the best of your tactics. 

Stop and think about the cost of your actions. Remember: your most valuable resource is the turns themselves. For example, if you move your units to execute a tactic, think about how long it will take you to secure the new position. A miscalculation can unbalance the game.

• It is completely normal for your units to lose health. Don't be obsessed with healing your units all the time, use health restoring items or skills with caution; we don't want to reach the final phase without supplies. For this reason, go one turn ahead, at least. Think long term. Here, your visual ability will be decisive in detecting enemy tactics. Try to analyze the AI patterns to know where to step.

As we have just seen, the tactics to follow between the first two phases are very different. While in the initial phase we secure the first positions, in the mid-game we maintain control of the battlefield without losing balance.

What is the line that separates the mid game from the final phase? The mid game ends when the bulk of the enemy units have been eliminated and we have approached our mission objective. The maneuvers we will perform in the last phase of combat differ from the tactics we have just analyzed by two very specific details: first, because the battlefield widens again. We have already eliminated many enemies and we once again have the ability to maneuver. And secondly, because perhaps the units that still remain in the scenario are the most powerful and we are already seeing signs of attrition. But I will explain this in the next Combat Structure article.

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